India-made Renault Kiger gets four adult stars in South Africa crash test

The India-made Renault Kiger with six airbags earned four stars for adult occupant protection and three stars for child occupant protection in Global NCAP’s latest test of the South African specification. The earlier two-airbag Kiger tested for the same market earned two adult stars and one child star. The updated version improved both scores, though the test still found an unstable bodyshell and footwell.

How the two South African Kiger versions compare

The earlier Kiger was selected for testing when the South African model came with two airbags as standard and lacked electronic stability control (ESC) and ISOFIX child-seat anchors. Renault later added six airbags, ESC and ISOFIX as standard and submitted the updated car for voluntary testing.

Where the six-airbag Kiger lost points

Global NCAP rated the footwell and bodyshell unstable in the frontal test and judged them unable to withstand further loading. One door opened during the side-impact test, which cost the car points. The updated Kiger protected the head, abdomen and pelvis well in the side-impact test, while chest protection in the separate side-pole test was marginal.

The child results also varied by dummy age. The 18-month-old dummy showed full protection in the frontal and side tests. The three-year-old dummy’s head contacted the interior in the frontal test, and head exposure in the side test resulted in zero side-impact points for that dummy. The three-star child rating reflects those findings alongside the better performance of the younger dummy.

What Indian buyers can check

The rating applies to the South African specification tested. Global NCAP identifies the six-airbag result as valid from VIN MEEHBC00900136013 in that market. If you are comparing Indian Kiger variants, check the exact safety equipment listed for the variant, including airbags, ESC and ISOFIX, and look for a crash-test result that explicitly identifies the Indian specification.

FAQs

Did the South African Renault Kiger earn four stars for child protection?

The updated Kiger earned four adult stars and three child stars. The earlier version earned two adult stars and one child star.

Does this result apply to every India-made Renault Kiger?

The test identifies the South African specification and separates the earlier and updated cars by equipment and VIN. An India-spec rating would require a result that covers the Indian-market vehicle.

The updated Kiger’s results show measurable gains for the tested South African configuration. The separate child score and the structural findings give buyers more context than the adult star rating alone.